Robot cop begins patrolling the streets of Dubai tomorrow night

A robotic police officer is making its debut on the streets of Dubai tomorrow night — and I hope everyone there has watched Robocop.

The uniformed bot greeted visitors to the Gulf Information Security and Expo Conference. After the conference wraps on Tuesday, it will be deployed to the streets of Dubai.

The robot rolls around on wheels. It can salute, bow, speak in multiple languages, and recognize hand gestures from up to 1.5 meters away, according to the Khaleej Times. It also has a tablet lodged in its chest which civilians can use to report crimes, according to The Daily Mail. It was designed by the Dubai police, with assistance from IBM’s Watson and Google.

It’s apparently not designed to deter serious crime, but to take over small tasks, according to Brigadier-General Khalid Nasser Al Razouqi, Director of the Smart Services Department for the Dubai Police:

With an aim to assist and help people in the malls or on the streets, the robocop is the latest smart addition to the force and has been designed to help us fight crime, keep the city safe and improve happiness levels.

The Brigadier also told Gulf News that the department hopes to replace a quarter of its forces with similar bots by 2030.